Sushmita Sen met Donald Trump when he owned Miss Universe pageant, says ‘it was not fun…’

Actress and former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen recently opened up about her time managing the Miss India Universe franchise between 2010 and 2012, during a time when the orgainsation was owned by US President Donald Trump.

In an interview promoting her series “Aarya”, Sushmita recalled the surprising opportunity to take on the franchise.

“The Miss Universe Organisation called me, and said, ‘Would you like to take the franchise?’ I was like, ‘What? Really? That was like a dream!’” she shared.

Donald Trump owned the Miss Universe Organisation in 1996 until 2015.

“I signed a pretty intense contrast when I took on this franchise, and that was owned by Donald Trump – which did not make it easy or fun,” Sushmita said.

However, she clarified that Trump was not directly overseeing her work.

“Luckily, the only people who were my boss at that time were Paramount Communications and Madison Square Garden, because they owned Miss Universe when I was their employee for a year. I was a franchise owner for Donald Trump.”

Although she met Trump due to the franchise link, Sushmita chose not to delve deeper into her opinion of him.

“The point is that it does not matter,” she said.

“There are some people who leave an impression, not necessarily because of their achievements or power. Just for the people that they are. He is not one of them.”

Trump was a prominent businessman during the time he owned Miss Universe. He became the 45^th President of the US in 2017 and returned to office in 2025 as the 47^th President after winning the 2024 election.

Sushmita made history in 1994 as the first Indian woman to win the Miss Universe crown. Beyond her pageant legacy, she has remained a beloved figure in the entertainment industry. After a break from acting, Sushmita made a powerful comeback with “Aarya”, a crime drama that won critical acclaim, followed by her portrayal of transgender activist Shreegauri Sawant in “Taali”, which further cemented her status as a bold and versatile performer.